Less Alcohol - JULY 2019 - One Day at a Time

Womona

fitchick37 wrote: »

Hi, I'd like to join in, I've been in the habit of having a drink with dinner pretty much every night so I've restarted my MFP plan a week ago and been alcohol free 7 days so I can definitely chalk yesterday and today up. I don't know how long I'll last, maybe a month, maybe longer, maybe forever.

Welcome!!! Glad you’re here. I think a lot of us were in the same boat- a drink every night out of habit or as a bit of a crutch to relax. But it can change to drinking less, and less often. Sounds like you’re doing great so far!

Womona

Heading to a friends house for 4th of July tomorrow. I’m a little nervous because the wine is always flowing. I will limit myself to two for the whole night because it’s a special occasion. No other plans for the holiday weekend so I’ll be back to my regular plan of just one on weekend nights.

AbandondedKSCharger

Good Morning,
I have accomplished 3 AF days in a row. I am 95% sure today will be my first 4th day in a row in over 12/15 years. Happy happy joy joy right..... Yes, but I can't give myself credit for it. I have been suffering with a mild cold since Sunday for sure, possibly Saturday. Friday I had my share of drinks at the margarita party, but not majorly excessive like I have seen myself do in the past. Along with that though, I stayed up until 1 am. An old habit of mine. Anyways, Saturday I had a slight headache and a big sore throat. I figured my throat was due to snoring Friday night. Who knows, but the fact is, here we are 5 days later and I still feel like I have a hangover. Ugghh. I stayed home from church Sunday because I felt so bad. So my point is, it is much easier NOT to drink when you already feel hungover. If I did not feel like this, I would question how I would do tonight going out on the boat, not having to work tomorrow, etc, etc. But because I feel bad, it is my easy pass to day 4. I'll take it!

As I have been going through this process with so many of you on here the past 5 months, or so, I have thought....you know...….I quit smoking 19 years ago. That took me an entire year. I quit smoking pot 36 years ago, that wasn't too hard to do, but I even quit doing the speed which was so common in my younger days. That was a little bit harder then the pot, but the fact is, I have accomplished all that, I can do this too!! Ok, so now ya all know way to much about me lol.

Have a great July 3rd!
Teri

mainelylisa

@AbandondedKSCharger That's an awesome accomplishment! Well ya know. Not sure if you're giving yourself enough credit. When I'm hungover, I'm desperate for something to make me feel better--hair of the dog. Onsetting cold? Whiskey with honey. So take credit... You Go Girl!

everydaywechoose

Good morning:) I want to thank you all for this forum and especially MissMay for your support. Today is day8 AF for me. I've turned the corner. I'm appreciating myself, and not being bitter any more. I'm happy, and on the road to better health, mentally and physically. Today, I am actually looking forward to all the tomorrows to come.

annengineer

mainelylisa wrote: »

@annengineer Congratulations!!! So many foods on the do-not-eat list. When I was preggo 30 years ago, it was really just don't smoke or drink (much), lol.

Right?! My MIL was flabbergasted that I can’t have deli meat. There are so many restrictions now, I remember not taking antihistamines during spring was really hard on me with my son, I was SO congested, makes me very thankful for the timing this time around!

Womona wrote: »

Congratulations!

I craved sushi like you wouldn’t believe when I was pregnant with my first. I feel your pain! I had to make do with California rolls or anything else that was a cooked roll (like shrimp tempura) but you’re right, not the same as the real thing!

I had so many caterpillar and crunch tempura rolls with my son, which are good, but definitely not the same. So far we’ve only done takeout from a place that puts mayo (which I hate all the time but especially now haha) in their crab mix, and puts their crab mix in almost everything so I’ve been sticking to veggie ones and stuff like Udon soup.

@MissMay thank you! I may try some more mocktails, my default is seltzer with cranberry juice and lime, and at a restaurant I had this amazing blackberry beverage that wasn’t overly sweet they leave the vodka out of that I think was seltzer, a little simple syrup, and muddled blackberries. Baby will absolutely be AF, it’s amazing how much easier it is for me to not drink when I’m pregnant than when it’s just for myself (it also helps that wine actually tastes bad to me with the hormones- I can tell a bottle isn’t vinegar/turned if I need to check it before cooking, but it still tastes gross).

AbandondedKSCharger

@everydaywechoose Love the happy place you are in. Enjoy. Happy for you!

Anabirgite

Thought it would be challenging to not have a glass of wine tonight, holiday evening being the excuse, but had a vita water instead. Kinda proud of myself....

forestdweller1

Wow...such a flurry of reasons to drink less\not at all for a while. I'm dizzy. And impressed that so many previous posters have kept to their promises to themselves. Because those are the ONLY promises that really matter. IMHO. You are the only person who will be with you for the rest of your life. The concerned mother-in-law, the carping husband, the false friends, the children who distance themselves from a drunk parent, they care, in some fashion, but only YOU can carry yourself through to the goal that YOU have set.
And, yes, I do have a sad, sad place in my heart for those who were here, left, returned, and ...disappeared.

dawnbgethealthy

I am going to continue into July with a goal of 4-5 AF days per week. It is great to be able to check in here each day. Thank you for looking after us @MissMay : - )

May - 18 AF days
June - 16 AF days - Really had to backload that one! It was nearing the end of the month and I was only at 12 AF days. Maybe going to try to get more in at the beginning of the month this time.

July 01 - AF
July 02 - AF - Guess that I will start my tally at the bottom : - ) I realize now that 16AF days (4 per week) in a 31 day month is like having drinks every second day!
July 03 - AF - Today was no problem to be AF, but yesterday was a long hard day and I really felt like kicking back and having a couple of drinks - I just didn't. I even bought some of that fake beer that I have heard some of you talking about (I got Grolsch) - but it didn't occur to me to go to the fridge and have it. I am not a beer drinker, so I guess that it wouldn't have really been a substitute for a brandy or a glass of red wine : - P

Running total: 3 AF days out of 3 days so far.

beebva4

I'm four days late but I'm joining!
A little back story for me, the last month and a half I have renovated my home, sold it, lived in it for a few days with nothing but an air mattress, then stayed with family for 3 weeks bouncing around the state, finally my apartment was ready and made the 3 day drive, stopping at hotels every night, got to my new home and had to wait 3 days till my stuff came. Here I am now, today, and I'm so ready to change. I feel like total crud for drinking so much and eating so lousily. It's been a LONG month+ and I miss my routine. I feel anxious knowing I've done so poorly.

That being said, today is day one! I will not drink. I will eat better. And I will be very busy unpacking lol.

Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸💙❤

MissMay

Happy 4th everyone. Ya just gotta laugh.

dawnbgethealthy

@beebva4
Oh my you have had quite a month!! You will probably never forget this time.
Well, we all here are making or have made some changes.
You are creating a new routine from the ground up. Fresh start.
Lol, some of us are trying to change our routines to be more healthy and present.
New chapter for you.
Happy unpacking and creating your new reality.
Glad that you have joined our little group : - )

dawnbgethealthy

I am going to continue into July with a goal of 4-5 AF days per week. It is great to be able to check in here each day. Thank you for looking after us @MissMay : - )

May - 18 AF days
June - 16 AF days - Really had to backload that one! It was nearing the end of the month and I was only at 12 AF days. Maybe going to try to get more in at the beginning of the month this time.

July 01 - AF
July 02 - AF - Guess that I will start my tally at the bottom : - ) I realize now that 16AF days (4 per week) in a 31 day month is like having drinks every second day!
July 03 - AF - Today was no problem to be AF, but yesterday was a long hard day and I really felt like kicking back and having a couple of drinks - I just didn't. I even bought some of that fake beer that I have heard some of you talking about (I got Grolsch) - but it didn't occur to me to go to the fridge and have it. I am not a beer drinker, so I guess that it wouldn't have really been a substitute for a brandy or a glass of red wine : - P
July 04 - 3 drinks

Running total: 3 AF days out of 4 days so far.

MissMay

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING! Woot woot first Friday of July.

I had a wonderful 4th of July. Worked half a day, then spent the afternoon listening to a band at an outdoor pub on the Harbor. Sipping those mint/tea/gingerale concoctions of mine. Went home to a good bbq dinner.

Ah....but then we got asked to go down and watch fireworks. I do not like fireworks ( hence my previous post with poster). All that hype to get there, find a spot to stand, get chewed up by mosquitos and then everyone that asked us to go complained how rotten the fireworks were the whole time. There were three accidents from folks trying to rush to get out of the Harbor.

On a great note 98% of the day was wonderful☺

MissMay

Welcome back @beebva4 we have missed you since earlier this year. Gee that was a lot going on with you, no wonder you got off track. New month - new beginnings. Never too late to join in again.

@Anabirgite that IS something you should be very proud of. Congrats 👏👍

@AbandondedKSCharger you really do sit down and sift through this whole process of drinking less. That is called super awareness and I went and still do it as well. Congrats on the 3 days AF in a row. HUGE accomplishment for you I know to get to day 4, but it will come.

Hope EVERYONE has had success in thier goals and such this holiday because there is so much pressure that can derail our good intentions.

Gotta run group- chat away. I will catch up later.

Womona

@beebva4 whew! I’m exhausted for you just reading about the bouncing around and waiting for your stuff! Getting settled in your new place will go a long way toward all of your goals.

@AbandondedKSCharger if you quit smoking and other things, you can do away with alcohol as well! You are on your way!

@Anabirgite good for you! I wish I could say the same. I *think* I had my planned two glasses last night but it may have been 2.5-3 because I couldn’t gauge the wine pours. I thought I had been poured two half glasses but it may have been more. All I know is I was slurring after the first “small” glass. So freaking embarrassing. I had to cut myself off and wait until dinner to have another glass. Now that I’ve cut way the hell back in alcohol, my tolerance has plummeted. I guess that’s a good thing!

renpup

I love coming in here and reading how everyone's faring, especially over the holiday weekend. I had ONE beer last night--we went to my parents' for a cookout and backyard fireworks. My dad had stuck two beers in the fridge; I had one, my husband had the other. I knew there were more out in the fridge in the garage, but I also knew there wasn't really any reason to have more. I enjoyed the one, and I'm enjoying the no-hangover today as I'm one of few people in the office. Have a great weekend, all!

Lazy_Bones_85

Planning on being Alcohol Free all month except for July 4 (my A race of the year), July 11 OR 12, July 23, and July 24. My Birthday is July 23 and a lot of our friends are social drinkers so there will be dinners to enjoy and afternoons at the pool. My best friend's birthday is July 24 so we will also celebrate her birthday.

My "spring time racing season" is over now which culminated with a 10K yesterday. When I'm in the middle of training, I don't really enjoy drinking because it negatively effects my progress. During July and August, I try to lose the weight I gained during the spring from what always ends up being a season of overeating because of training volume. So it's very important to me to not drink a lot and derail my weight loss efforts.

I was alcohol free July 1-3, enjoyed a few Bellinis on July 4 so on track so far. I hope everyone is enjoying their month and seeing success in their goals.

syreina

I am not much of drinker, less than social you can say since I would typically have 1-2 mixed drinks and the heartburn would start. I finally went to the doctor in March to get it checked out and I am finally on my last two weeks of medication.

My husband's birthday is in August so I may partake in 1-2 drinks and see how I am feeling because the doctor suggested I still limit my intake until our follow-up in September.

I have been AF since March 15th 2019 and I hope I am welcome here because I don't want to become a person who relies on alcohol after a long stressful day. I have seen firsthand how this can affect your life.